I have the Canon shutter release cable and it works fine. That said, if I were to do it again I would probably just buy one of the third party versions since I don't use it that often. You can find them on ebay for under $15.
I have pretty much the same tripod/ballhead albeit with the older product numbers (they changed the numbers 2-3 years ago) and have been happy with them. It really depends on what you're going to use it for, Doug's tripod buyer's guide sticky is excellent. This combo falls into the category of being solid and reasonably priced, but it's definitely heavier than some of the carbon fiber alternatives which can be a big consideration if you're going to walk long distances with it.
One other thought: as I've started experimenting with the video function of the 5D MK II I'm finding that a regular ballhead is difficult to move smoothly while shooting. A pan/tilt head or something else may be in my future but quite honestly I don't know enough about video yet to make informed suggestions. If you think you'll be shooting much video you might want to keep this in mind.